Weaknesses: I am only giving these 1 chili b/c the 4.x overall that they have here is ridiculous. These are worse than useless when it is wet out, I have tried it down to 19 psi tubeless, still slick as ice when wet on rocks and roots, you know when you need the traction.........

Spots I used to make all the time on my Stans "The Raven" I now no longer trust my bike to stay under me. If you only ride the dry trails WHEN it is dry they will be ok. If you like to get out and ride all the time and try different trails and variety, DO NOT get these.

Bottom Line:

Do not get unless you are only going to ride on dry trails in dry conditions. Dangerous on wet. I've tried them for over 3 weeks now different PSIs, always the same.

Strengths: Excellent, predictable grip with lots of warning and controllability if it lets go. Wears well and rolls well. No wobbles in the carcass.

Is TRUE TO SIZE! (looking at you WTB and Maxxis) A 2.3 Psycho Genius actually measures 2.3 at the tread, with the casing being slightly smaller, when mounted on a 24mm external width rim. This gives a good amount of volume for trail conformance. I'm tired of manufacturers that label a 2.1 tire "2.3" to trick us out of money. Buy a quality ruler and use it, guys.

Light-ish for its size but still durable. Granted I only run it on the front, but there's hardly any apparent wear after several hundred miles and no missing lugs. I've ping ponged off lots of jagged rocks without issue. No issues mounting tubeless.

Definitely the most pleasantly surprising purchase I had in the last year. I was expecting decent performance, but got excellent performance. I have this on my light AM/Trail bike and it is perfect. On maintained trails this tire rails turns well. I would go a little burlier if you're doing bigger drops or steep loose stuff.

I do a lot of really technical AM riding here in Texas and my prior tire (Maxxis Ranchero) was slipping when trying to climb technical rock shelves. I needed a UST tire with more grip and decided to try swap out the Ranchero for the PG (running Ignitor up front). This tire met and exceeded my expectations. I really notice the grip when climbing rock shelves and it holds air better than the Ranchero (which is still a great tire BTW). Grip is also impressive during high speed cornering, and while not as fast rolling as my Bonty XR0, it's no poker either. I'm seriously considering swapping out my front for a PG and running PG/PG for gnarly AM riding and XR0/XR0 for XC type riding.

Bought one to run on the rear which replaced a Panaracer Fire XC Pro. Huge difference! Lots more grip, especially in a straight line. I like the more rounded profile which seems to help cornering and control on the trail. Trails here are rooty and rocky with some packed clay. No issues at all and seems to handle the roots better as well, even off-camber.

Great all around tire. No tire is perfect for all conditions but this one is close. Like it better than the Bontrager XR4s and multiple Nevagels I tried. This tire rolls a lot easier and handles better in the corners. Reasonable priced too for a high-end tire.

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
Scott

Date Reviewed: June 8, 2012

Strengths: Grip, Weight, performance

Weaknesses: Thin Sidewall

Bottom Line:

Replaced the stock tires on my Trek hardtail with these, and after 300 miles on these I am glad I did. It took me a little while to build up my confidence with these tires, as the stock ones sucked. With each ride my confidence grows, my cornering, climbs and downhill all got faster, because the grip with these tires are insane. These tires are the best part of my mountain thus far.

I dropped some weight and rolling resistance switching to these from my nevegals. They are much faster in a straight line and grip great in a straight line as well. They corner almost as well. I have too lean into the curve more for it to feel right. I am running them tubeless even though they are not the UST version and have had no problems. I was running the front and back in different directions which helped in breaking and climbing I thought but when I switched the back to face the same way as the front they started to climb and decend better. I did have to pump them up 5 psi more which was strange to me but the results are noticeable. They seem to be wearing out faster then I woudl like but for the price and for how long I like riding tires before buying new ones, it will be long enough.

I found they out perfromed all my old tires in the leaves this fall. I think the triangle design helps them to cut through to the dirt below.

FWIW - I am running 2.3's front and back on a 5.5" travel trail bike. I ride hardpaked clay and dirt. There are lots and lots of roots on my local trails.

Got these to replace thy Bonty XDX's that came with my bike. Where I ride (Cuyuna) grip and durability trump over weight. Based on the reviews here and elsewhere, these seemed to be the ticket. Also, I find the trend toward $80-$90 "normal" (non-race) mountain bike tires to be ridiculous, so the price of $40 a tire was good.

So far, the Tioga PsyGen has delivered in spaces. The grip is great through the Cuyuna Gold, which is to be expected. (Please note: the Cuyuna Gold hardpack is, even dry, especially grippy. Its in its slightly damp "hero dirt" phase, so pretty much anything this side of slick would be grippy.) When the trail turns to scree, rock slabs, or sand these tires seem to still grip fine. Even at speed on long downhills they seem to hold on far past the point you would expect. Since we do not ride wet trails in Minnesota, I can not comment on the wet grip abilities of these tires.

They appear to be very durable as well. No slashes or even nicks from sharp iron ore rocks. Many a far more expensive have lost to the shards that litter the trails. To have a "value" tire that holds up this well is encouraging.

About the only thing I have against them is that for weight weenies they might be a bit portly. But just don't have that second cupcake before the ride and you make up the difference.

In conclusion, I'm finding that the Psycho Genius' are doing everything I expected them to do and more. They may not have the marketing that some other tires from a larger manufacturer have, but they put their effort where it counts: where the tire meets the trail.

I think the value is 5 Chilies and I'm giving them a 4 Chili overall rating for now. As I ride more and conditions change that might change.

Strengths: So far, it's been a durable tire. I think I've been riding close to a year on the 2.1 in front and it still looks in good shape. Rolling resistance is really low and it feels lighter than its weight. I plan on getting another for the back once my Captain tire is done so I can only comment on its use up front. I've ridden it in the rocky, sandy and slightly damp soil of Bend and our dry lose over hardpack and bottomless sand of So Cal and it works just fine in both. Easy to steer and pick a line, it almost seems to read my mind. It replaced a very stable (but slow) Eskar 2.3 and I don't feel that I've lost much cornering ability or traction but it rolls so much smoother. I'm running it converted to tubeless with the Gorilla tape method and it setup without an issue and has not burped once. It's just about everything I am looking for in an all around trail tire.

Weaknesses: Yea, no direction indicator. I actually rode it for about a month backwards (wasn't bad). Would prefer having a 2.0 size for the rear and a 2.2 up front instead of the 2.1 or 2.3 size choice for general trail riding.

Bottom Line:

Good tires. Reasonable weight, so far durable. Light feeling flickable tire that fits my riding style. Does well in lose over hard, hardpack, deep sand, rocky and damp but not muddy conditions. Converts to tubeless without an issue. Can be had for a reasonable cost. As long as I keep my ears open for that scratching sound of the tire at it's limit and adjust accordingly there are no surprises; cornering grip is good but not the same as the 2.3 Eskar it replaced. But I knew that going in- I was looking for a more agile tire. I've spent much more on tires that were no better and some that were worse. An excellent value that would get 5 chilis if they came in 2.0 and 2.2 size instead of 2.1 or 2.3 as my trail riding needs lean more towards general trails and flowy singletrack and not the more aggressive all mountain type riding.

Weaknesses: I thought this tire was going to be great due to all the good reviews it has received. It might be the the type of riding I am doing, but after only a few months of riding in Balm Boyette, this tire is pretty much shredded. The knobbies have worn off, there are deep gouges in the tire, and I don't expect it to last much longer.

I got the tubeless version after slicing 2 Bonty XR4s very quickly here in the Tucson chunk. (2 other riders I know here have done the same to 2 each of their XR4s in quick succession). I was looking for a tire with similar characteristics to the XR4s, but more sidewall strength. So far, the Tiogas are every bit as fast and grippy as the XR4s, and in the loose-over-hard sandy sections they are awesome. Very confidence-inspiring. On the rocks they are also very nice. I have only tried them for a short time, and will update as I get on further, but so far they are a worthy replacement for the not-fit-for-rocky-chunk XR4s.

Strengths: There is absolutely no doubt about it. This Tire is the most efficient and grippy rear tire I have ever mounted on a rim. I used to run Kenda Nevegal - Tomac editions front and rear, but now, this Tioga has surpassed all the previous tires I have ever used for rear traction, stability, cornering, dependability and, hands down, this tire is the best at keeping and maintaining its traction from a dead start. This tire will get you moving from a dead start on any trail, trail condition, and trail steepness. My Kendas were fine, or at least I thought they were fine in the area of traction and when I was having difficulty with lack of traction I blamed my riding and balance. That was not the case and the Tioga Psycho Genius proved me wrong. They dig in, grip, bite, call it what you will, but mostly you'll call it confidence. These tires are difficult to locate for a reasonable price but I found them out of state @ Ridethis.com and then price smashed @ Cambria for a great deal. I ride an Intense Spyder and my only issue was the 2.3 circumference size which with this high volume tire rubbed slightly. I sanded the side knobs down by a couple of millimeters and the fit was right on after that. I'm running WTB Weirwolf LT on the front and combined with the Tioga Psycho on the rear I'm so tuned in to the trails I ride that getting out on The Saratoga Gap, Skeggs, Water Dog, all trails I can't even name.......ROCK!!! Buy this tire on Ridethis.com, Cambria, Treefort.com and you won't be disappointed.

Weaknesses: None found

Bottom Line:

The Bottom Line is simply, get this tire on your rim and get to riding and having the most rear control you can imagine. So far with the rains in Northern California I have had no issues whatsoever getting my riding in and having the traction to maneuver through the mud, rocks, branches, grasses, whatever.

I'd like to thank the Genius who thought up this Psycho idea to design this tire.

Strengths: Low rolling resistance, good control, durability and good price point for the tire.

Weaknesses: None - tire does exactly what is intended!

Bottom Line:

Not all tires are good for all riding styles or environmental conditions; with that said, this tire model is great for my riding style and for my environmental conditions - thus the 5 out of 5 stars. These tires shine brightly out here on South Mountain (the largest city park in the United States found in Phoenix, Arizona). I ride aggressive cross country trails with lots of rocks - nearly every other day (I ride a Pivot Mach 4 and take my equipment seriously). These tires grip well, roll very fast and wear well with puncture resistance that's top notch (I use Stan's) - side wall tears from rocks out here have not been an issue at all to date. Not a super light tire, but light enough not to be an issue (could be used for racing with no problem). The 2.30 tire size is balloon fat making cornering and rolling a breeze. I run them tubeless and the Stan's product sealed them up with no problems. Even mounting the tires on my 2011 Mavic ST wheels were easy... no tools required - I just used my fingers for quick installation. The tread design is outstanding for rocks and loose debris and they float over sand instead of getting bogged down in it. Certainly buy these tires if your situation or riding style fit mine, you won't be sorry. Even the price is good on these guys. P.S. many of the tire products on the market today are outdated and over priced, but this is a current and cutting edge design, priced right with a ton of strong qualities!

Submitted by
J-Lab
a Cross Country Rider
from StrengthLab@earthlink.net

Date Reviewed: December 20, 2010

Strengths: Rolling resistance is very low, with good control and durability - all at a good price point.

Weaknesses: None. It does what it's intended to do!

Bottom Line:

Not all tires are good for all riding styles or environmental conditions; with that said, this tire model is great for my riding style and for my environmental conditions - thus the 5 out of 5 stars. These tires shine brightly out here on South Mountain (the largest city park in the United States found in Phoenix, Arizona). I ride aggressive cross country trails with lots of rocks - nearly every other day (I ride a Pivot Mach 4 and take my equipment seriously). These tires grip well, roll very fast and wear well with puncture resistance that's top notch (I use Stan's) - side wall tears from rocks out here have not been an issue at all to date. Not a super light tire, but light enough not to be an issue (could be used for racing with no problem). The 2.30 tire size is balloon fat making cornering and rolling a breeze. I run them tubeless and the Stan's product sealed them up with no problems. Even mounting the tires on my 2011 Mavic ST wheels were easy... no tools required - I just used my fingers for quick installation. The tread design is outstanding for rocks and loose debris and they float over sand instead of getting bogged down in it. Certainly buy these tires if your situation or riding style fit mine, you won't be sorry. Even the price is good on these guys. P.S. many of the tire products on the market today are outdated and over priced, but this is a current and cutting edge design, priced right with a ton of strong qualities!

Weaknesses: Cornering, once it loses lateral grip it does not regain it. 2.3 is smallish - wish it came in a 2.35-2.4.

Bottom Line:

I have the 2.3 foldng bead Psycho Genius run at 28-30 psi. Surprisingly good traction even in the typically wet sloppy PacNW conditions. Much lower rolling resistance and better traction than the Nevegals. Their only weakness in comparison to the Nevegals is that when leaned into a corner, the Nevegal may drift and then regain lateral grip whereas the PG's once they lose lateral grip they just continue to slide out. My new favorite tire. I've only ridden them in wet conditions - I expect they'll be even better in the damp or dry.